INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Pickerl Hall
Welcome
Greetings from the Honors College at Indiana State University! I am Dr. Greg Bierly, and it’s my pleasure to share with you the incredible opportunities that await you here. In the Honors College, we are dedicated to nurturing your intellectual curiosity and empowering you to achieve your full potential in college and beyond.
As a member of our learning community, you will participate in dynamic, thoughtprovoking classes, taught by faculty selected for their expertise and devotion to academic excellence. We will work with you to design a customized program of study that will enhance your academic major and provide the best possible career preparation. The Honors College will connect you with faculty and fellow students, engage you in intellectual conversations that expose you to great works and ideas, immerse you in unique learning experiences and community involvement, prepare you for graduate or professional school, and inspire you to be a leader in your work and community. When you complete your Honors curriculum, your academic achievement will be recognized at graduation and formally documented on your diploma and transcript.
I look forward to welcoming you to our dynamic community of scholars and changemakers. Embrace the challenge, seize the opportunities, and let your journey of discovery begin.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Greg Bierly Dean, Honors College
Indiana State University
Opening Doors
The Honors College at Indiana State University is looking for the next generation of leaders who see possibility and crave opportunity.
Eligibility & Application
Admission to the Honors College is based on academic performance and potential. Freshman applicants must have met at least one of the following criteria to be considered for Honors College admission:
• A cumulative high school grade point average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.
• 1170 SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math) or higher.
• ACT composite score of 24 or higher.
• High school class rank within the top 10 percent.
If you are an incoming freshman with a 3.7 or higher high school GPA, you will be invited to select admission to the Honors College on your Indiana State University application. If you choose to join the Honors College at that time, you will not need to submit a separate Honors College application. If you do not opt in via the Indiana State University application, you may complete a separate Honors College application. This application can be found at
Honors Class Requirements
The Honors curriculum features a core of four classes that will immerse you in the great ideas of human civilization and equip you with the tools to think critically and apply concepts across disciplines. As a culminating experience, you will conduct an original research project that integrates the strands of expertise developed through the Honors classes and your major. The four Honors core classes satisfy a block of general education categories, allowing you to move quickly through those requirements.
• General Honors (GH) 101: Contemporary Issues
• General Honors (GH) 201: Great Works
• General Honors (GH) 301: Junior Seminar
• General Honors (GH) 401: Senior Thesis
In addition to completing the Honors core, you will customize your degree program with one of three Honors elective concentrations designed to enhance your experience in your major:
• Leadership and Civic Engagement
• Global Perspectives
• Honors Conversions in the Major
To graduate from the Honors College, students must maintain a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, earn a 3.0 GPA in the Honors curriculum, and complete the Honors core and one of the three elective concentrations.
Honors Community
One of the benefits of studying in the Honors College is that it allows you to develop a special community of students, faculty, and administrators who share your interests and academic values. It also provides opportunities to assume roles of leadership and influence within the broader Indiana State University community.
The Honors Council is a student organization that gives Honors students a voice on campus, provides leadership development opportunities, and facilitates social, philanthropic, and professional development programming.
Honors Peer Mentors are experienced Honors students who are selected to mentor firstyear Honors students as they adjust to life at Indiana State University. Honors Peer Mentors are comfortable with the campus and community and know firsthand what it is like to be a motivated student, take Honors classes, live on campus, participate in extracurricular activities, study abroad, and utilize effective time management. As a freshman Honors student, you will have a peer mentor who will keep you informed about events and resources, plan social gatherings, and listen if you need to talk to someone.
The Honors College is designed to go with any major, so it won’t cost you any additional time or money to complete your degree.
Living and Learning
Living-Learning Communities at Indiana State University are communities of students who share similar majors, interests, or career goals, and who reside together in a dedicated residence hall. Pickerl Hall and Burford Hall are the primary Honors residence halls for incoming Honors students, and the apartments at 500 Wabash are an additional LLC option for returning Honors students. As an Honors student, you are not required to live in Honors housing; however, choosing to reside in an Honors community gives you the opportunity to develop friendships and form study groups with peers from different majors within the Honors College.
Honors residence halls have private bathrooms, central air conditioning, quiet hours, and lounges for studying and hanging out. Pickerl Hall and Burford Hall are a short walk from the Hulman Memorial Student Union, the Sycamore Dining Hall, and most classroom buildings.
1,000+ Students Enrolled in Honors College
3 Honors LLC Locations
Undergraduate Research
Honors students have unique opportunities to customize research projects in their majors as they convert classes for their Honors electives. All Honors students complete a significant research or creative project on a topic of their choosing for the culminating Honors thesis. Many Honors students also participate in Indiana State’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences program or join research trips abroad with professors in their major.
Honors Thesis
As an Honors student, you will complete an Honors thesis based on a topic of interest to you, either through your program of study or based on your sustained interest and investigation outside of your major. You may investigate any topic for which there are unknowns or questions to be answered, and where you may contribute by reviewing, analyzing, and synthesizing literature and data.
You will present the results of your work in class and at Indiana State University’s annual undergraduate research conference. To design, research, complete, and defend a thesis as an undergraduate student is an exceptional opportunity, and your thesis project will be a highlight of your Honors College experience.
Career Coaching Study Abroad
The Honors College regularly partners with the Indiana State University Career Center to offer interactive professional development workshops designed especially for Honors students. These activities will help you build a resume, write a cover letter, prepare to interview, make an informed decision about graduate school, apply for internships, build networking skills, and more.
Honors students have opportunities to study abroad for a summer, fall, or spring semester; participate in one- or two-week class trips abroad led by Indiana State University professors; and serve other communities by volunteering for international alternative winter and spring break activities.
“Once you start traveling, you start making more opportunities for yourself to travel. People always say, ‘Write what you know,’ and if you know more, and if you have experienced more, you have more to write about.”
Jadyn Grimes Creative Writing Major Greece
Apply Today!
The Honors College at Indiana State University is a welcoming, inclusive community of student-scholars, faculty, and staff who work together to advance understanding of the world we live in and prepare to become leaders in our professions and our communities. The experiences and opportunities you have here will shape your personal and professional future in profound ways. Apply today to join our Honors community!
